SUMMER DREAMING SINCE 98’

The annual week on Lake Winnipesaukee.

I’ll be honest, this one seems absolutely daunting to start. I mean, not to be dramatic, but in writing these words right now, I have not one clue. Where would you begin if you were looking back on 24 consecutive years of your life? I almost feel like an oak tree, each ring marking another week of my life on Lake Winni. This place has created such a special impact on my life. How I think. What I value. Who I am.

I guess it’s only fitting to start with some boring facts, since you probably have no idea what I’m even talking about.

Established in 1933, Lake Winnipesaukee is situated in the heart of New Hampshire, and has become one of the most prime real estate locations in the Northeast. Whether you own a boat and are looking to explore the lake, or seeking boat and jetski rentals, Lake Winnipesaukee has created both ease and access for all. With 258 islands and 71 square miles of lake surface area, there is truly so much to explore.

But I’ll stop there, because the video I made below explains itself.

My parents met back in 1996, and found this hidden gem through some local New Jersey friends. Really estate has never been cheap here, you’d be lucky to find a two bedroom shack under $1M. They came across a small rental community of clustered log cabins situated on an offshoot basin on the edge of the lake. Sunset Lodges. In terms of price and accommodations, it wasn’t much. Saturday to Saturday, $900 with a Monday night cookout included. No TV, no dishwasher, and certainly no air conditioning. Each cabin had a small back bedroom and tiny little bathroom, leading to a kitchen so small you wouldn’t even know you walked through it. There was a main living space with a large wood burning fireplace right in the heart of the cabins. Two large plate glass windows stretched on either side of the fireplace, facing the docks and lakefront. A large screen-in porch led the way to the outdoors, the only means of keeping summer bugs from setting up camp inside. And so naturally, my parents thought this was the perfect place to take their newborn child.

We stayed in Cabin 4 year after year, spending our days jumping off the main dock, swimming to the no wake Bouy, and going on hikes up in the White Mountains. Me strapped to my dad’s backpack of course. My parents had so much love for this spot. So much so that they decided to invite their family friends along. The type of family friends that quickly became Aunt and Uncle. A non-blood bond if you will. The Swansons; Aunt Lori, Uncle KJ, Erik, and eventually, baby Carlee. Erik was my age, and Carlee was two years younger. Soon, my baby sister Annalee would be born. Together, our trip became the highlight of the summer. The week that everyone dreamt of for the remainder of the year. We would spend a day visiting the Moultonborough General Store for candy, cheap t-shirts, stuffed animals, dill pickles, and giant slices of cheddar cheese. Ice-cream from the Sandwich Creamery & Bailey’s Bubble, and seafood from the Wolfetrap. Just like clockwork, year after year. Like I said, it wasn’t much, but to me it was everything. It was simple, no bells and whistles. Just good laughs and even better people to share it with. We starting bringing our English Springer Spaniel, Timber. The Swanson’s with their Golden Retriever, Boone. Sure enough, Sunset Lodges became a family spot to bring your canine best friend. We even had our own personal turtle catcher, the owner’s son Chris. He was a goofy kid, mid 20s, and high as a kite about 100% of the time. He took so much pleasure in bringing the kids creatures that he would find while out on the water smoking his blunt.

When I was 6, the Seamore Family began coming to Sunset. They stayed in Cabin 1. Jack and Barb, with their kids Brad and Samantha. Sam and I were fast friends, playing volleyball in the rec center, making gardens out of lily pads, and practicing gymnastics in the sand. The parents would hold annual Ping Pong matches, usually crowning Uncle KJ the defending champion. They even began inviting us kids on their FourWinns boat for a day on Lake Winni. A day on the broads, away from the little basin that we knew. This was something I had never seen with my own eyes. It was a different world being out on the lake. There were beautiful mansions spilling over the lakefront, complete with boathouses, private beaches and water trampolines. Endless islands to dock on, and miles upon miles to explore. The water was deep, maybe 250 ft out on the broads. It was clear, blue and so refreshing to cool off in. Being out there on a hot summer day was a feeling I never wanted to stop chasing. A few years later, the Seamore’s began having conflicts with vacation week. Naturally, kids start to grow up. Brad would be starting college early and Sam had commitments with travel gymnastics. And just like that, they were gone. Adjusting to vacation without them was hard. But like anything good in life, it all must come to an end. Leaving a beautiful memory in it’s place.

That following year, we all wondered who would replace the Seamore’s. Funny how staying in the same spot every year gives you a sense of dominance. It became our week. Our families. Our cabins. Special VIP members, if you will. This was the year we met the Mink family. David, Donna, and their two children Ali and Justin. A friendly, happy family with dogs of their own and thick Rhode Island accents. As they came to Lake Winni many times in the past, they stumbled upon Sunset Lodges in needing a place to accommodate two Wheaten Terriers. Justin was my age, and Ali was 3 years older. They spent most of their days on their Malibu boat, cruising the lake and coming back at dusk. As the Swanson’s and my family spent most nights out on the main dock watching the stars, the Mink’s began to join. We held annual diving competitions, making a runway on the dock out of wet towels. Justin would stack up inner tubes, round after round, tying each one to the edge of the dock. The winner had to clear the highest stack, which was usually him. In all reality, I began to develop a huge crush on Justin. But that’s a story for another day. Things were just so easy with us. All of us. Us kids would spend hours on end in the Mink’s cabin, which had an upstairs level with 4 beds. I vividly remember all 6 of us pushing the beds together, crammed together in a hot attic bedroom watching Hannah Montana on a single laptop with low-speed wifi. We took a few laps around the basin in their Malibu, switching on and off with the wakeboard, and hanging onto the tube for dear life as David turned the boat every which way. And once more, just like that, vacation was over for the summer.

The following year it was 2013. A tragic year, and a year of change. Ali had become an angel up in heaven, looking down on her family. The kind of loss no family should ever have to endure. We were older now. Erik, Justin and I were now sophomores in high school. Carlee was in 8th grade. Annalee was in 7th grade, and brought her friend Olivia along for the week. They we're still babies, much too young to bypass curfew and sneak around at 3 am. As a high schooler, fun became synonymous with booze. Filling up water bottles with Tanqueray, Kettle One, or a mixture of whatever we could find. Naive enough to replenish the handles with water, only to find that it changes to a solid in the freezer. The parents would laugh. “So strange, I don’t remember the buying the bottle with floating chunks of ice.” I’ll never live that one down. We were reckless. The late nights, the lack of sleep and the terrible hangovers. A true party all day, party all night vibe. The Mink’s were kind enough to invite us out on the boat. Annalee and Liv claimed the front, Erik, Carlee and I took the back.

We spent much time over on Ragged Island, a small island with limited dock space and a beautiful view of the lake. A small trail stretched the perimeter of the island, with blueberry bushes scattered on either side. There wasn’t much else to do besides sit in the sand, swim, drink and pick blueberries.

This was why we fell in love with it. For many years to come, we would visit this spot, along with some cliff jumping rocks that Justin found across the lake.

The fun only seemed to ramp up as we got older. We made it a priority to be there, despite other commitments that surfaced. But things did shift. Carlee spent half the week as a YMCA camp counselor down the road, Erik spent half back in NJ for football. Annalee and Liv were finally old enough to hang with the rest of us. We adopted a sort of routine each summer. Unloading cars full of luggage, dogs and groceries. Cooking dinner in the pavilion. Making campfires. Taking the paddle board out. Taking the Kayaks out. Taking shots. Going to Ragged. Going on hikes. Going to Bailey’s Bubble. The list goes on and on.

As I decided to go to college at the University of Rhode Island, Justin and I became good friends. In 2020, we became more. It was difficult that spring, as I was going home to New Jersey after graduation, and he was up in Rhode Island. Naturally, I worried how the dynamics would change on Lake Winni that August. As it was definitely new, it was a fun year. Erik brought his girlfriend Christy. Annalee brought her boyfriend at the time, and Liv brought hers. This year seemed different though. As the dynamics shifted with boyfriends, the pandemic was in full swing, creating a divide between our parents too. Covid this and covid that, I just wanted it to stop. The dogs were getting old and required a lot more help. The propeller broke on the Malibu, along with some mechanical issues. Anxiety filled the air. You could literally cut the tension with a knife. The week that was always an escape seemed to be overrun by a mountain of obstacles.

But that was 2020 in a nutshell. We’re past that, and we’ve moving forward. Life isn’t perfect. It never has been nor will it ever be. But the beauty behind Lake Winni is that it will never change. I’ll walk on the same steps I had as a baby, with my little pink Velcro shoes. People and situations change. And that’s okay, that’s life. Like clockwork, the leaves begin to change. Their colors from green, to yellow and orange, to brown. Then they fall. Our hearts became heavy with the loss of Timber and Boone that year. But have since opened our hearts to new loves, Sophia, Winter and Cooper.

So in writing this now, I’m 24 years old. It is May 24th, 2022, exactly 74 days until vacation. Exactly 74 days until we load up the truck and head north. The anticipation is setting in, my mind racing with all the exciting things to come. A new year with new beginnings, and the same good people to share it with.